1960s USAF flight suits....not the same color as 80s Nomex!

ive been studying color photos of USAF flight suits from the 1960s and have learned that they are not the same shade as the typical 70s'/80's US fightsuits. The sixties version is a different green and often shows a lot more "wear" than the later suits did.

Im working "Thermonuclear Rodeo" from Squadron and have the primer on. I can finish up the rest of the kit, face, hat, hands, but the suit is so critical to pull this off correctly.

Has anyone worked on figures of the generation, and pretty well nailed the paint color?

all thanks!

If you aren't having fun, you're doing it wrong! Build to please yourself and they will flame you every time!

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All flight suits even those of the same color will vary by mfr producing them. Fabric also fades after repeated washings. '60 era suits were a gray green or greenish gray depending on how new they were. Some were even orange!

Here is a pic of two of my old flight suits...the one on the left is an '80s era Nomex suit while the one on the right is a '50-60's era flightsuit that my dad wore and handed down to me and I wore on a few occasions while on active duty. The older suits fit better! LOL

Not all green but another shade. My Dad was a career man (not a flyer) and got these overalls for 'snow removal' - new in the '60's. I still have them and are still in use for 'snow removal', although the small being shown here no longer fits. :-)

Not quite what you're looking for but I think these are quite neat and certainly good to have... still.

P.S. Hawkeye, I just love your photography. I deal with professionals on a daily basis and you are quite an inspiration as well. Thanks.

The 60's vintage suits were generally the K-2B impregnated cotton. Very comfortable, cool and strudy but lousy in a fire. The 70's-80's suits are Nomex slightly darker color, scratchy and great in a fire. I still wear my K2B to dink around in and my nomex to fly.

Hugh Mills

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On an aside, as I am working on this kit now. The hat that Major Kong (Slim Pickens) wears should not be grey. I haven't seen any Stetson Western style hat in grey ( I own hats and look at the catalogues alot). Here is a picture I found of one that closely resembles the hat in the movie based on shape and style. It has the same style of band and edging as well as dented area.

You have to remember when this movie was made and what was fashionable then. Yes they did make grey Stetson's I owned one and wore it for years. I picked mine up in the mid seventies in Missouri down in the Ozarks. The gray Stetsons were made popular in several western movies. They were typically a winter season hat.

Thank you for the clarification Hawkeye. I don't think without a color still of Slim from the set that we can say for sure what color to use. I am doing mine in light brown with the darker brown trim and band. It might actually be a better color combination with the grey-green of the uniform.

MIke T.

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There is a book out there about Stanley Kubrick with color stills from all of his films. I did see several from Dr. Strangelove. One does include pictures from the bomb riding scene. I cannot recall if the hat is in it.

I am unable to come up with the title, but I know it is in the bookstore of the MOMA in New York, and the price was fairly reasonable. I just didn't feel like lugging a book around Manhattan all day in the rain.

So if you are motivated, the data is out there.

Excuse me.. Is that an Uzi?

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I had looked for stills on line and there are several color ones, but all of Peter Sellers as Dr. Strangelove. My searches included films by Kubrick. If the hat was grey, the trim and band would have been a darker grey not to contrast too directly with the hat's main color. Black to me would have contrasted too much.

Mike T.

Beware the hobby that eats. - Ben Franklin

Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out. - Ben Franklin

The U.S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. - Ben Franklin

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